Articulated car



Jan. 31, 192s. 1,657,579

P. J. MCCULLOUGH ARTICULATED CAR Filed April 14. 1928 @@WM M415., 7W

.Patented Jan. 31d, 1928.

UNITED stares earner llEal-llllli` J. MCC'ULLOUGH, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNGR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SCULLIN STEEL CO., OFST. LQUIS, MISSOURI, A CORBORJLTT'ON OF DELfli/filll.

ARTIGULATED CAR.

Application led April 14, 19,26. Seria'No. 161,830.

rlhe present invention relates to articulated cars.

More particularly the present invention relates to railroad cars and has vfor oneot s its objects the provision of an improved structure wherein two or more carbodies are mounted in articulated relationship with one another, he adjacent ends ot said cars hav- 'incj trucks in common.

Ehe present invention has been illustrated and will be described in connection with three-truck cars, two car bodies being provided with three trucks, the adjacent ends ci said cars being supported by one or said trucks. Cars or' this type have decided advantages, particularly when used upon tracks having a number el relatively sharp curves, which advantages need not be rel-erred to in detail herein.

A. further object of the present invention to provide a structure oit car which is relatively cheap andv simple to manufacture and which will distribute the loads uniformly A ifurther object is to provide a c r structure which is cheap and which has improved salety over prior constructions.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a car having two car bodies supported by three trucks;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of 5 the central portion of the car shown in Figure 1, parts bein@r broken away for purposes of clarity; and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken along the planes indicated by the arrows 3 3 of Figure 2.

The car shown in Figure 1 comprises the two car bodies 1 1, which attheir unadj acent ends are provided with the trucks 2 9, which may be ol' usual construction. Adj a cent ends of said car bodies 1 1 are supported by a truck 3, which is oi' special construction. As at present preferred, the truck 3 is a three-aXle truck, the journal bones Jfor supporting said three axles beingl indicated by the numerals 4 4 in Figure l. Said axles are equi-spaced, and located symmetrically between said axles are the bolster spaces 5 5. W'ithin said bolster spaces are holsters 6, which holsters may be carried by any preferred type of spring 6.

The numerals 7 7 indicate housings (which may be castings) secured to `rufe draft sills 8 8, `which housings 7 7 provide sockets tor the pivotal mountingI ci the head portions 9 9 ot the strap l0, said head portions being extended to a lower 'l vel than the remaining` portion ofthe strap 1U. Abutn'ients 1l l.l secured to the housings 7 7 and to the drait sills 8 8 inaintffimA ie strap or connecting rod 10 withitshead portions 9 9 in proper relationship with `the housings 7 7.

Disposed directly above the center ot' e .':h ot the holst-ers o t is a centerplate l2, which may te ol' usual construction. The of said conter plates 1Q 13 will be in substantial coincidence with the axeso he corresponding head portions 9 9 ot the st a 10. The side frames on `the two sides of the middle truck arolinlied together at their inner ends ata region over the journal box middle axle and are held in position by a pin or bolt indicated by the nume `al 13, which is suliiciently loose to per'- mit universal movement within limits sellicient to accommodate any combination ci' lateral and vertical movements such as are caused by curves and inequalities in the tracks. Inasmuch as the strap or connecting rod 1() holds the center plates 12 12 at a lixed distance apart, there can be no separation of the side 'trames of the middle axle even though the pin or bolt 13 is omitted.

The present invention has the advantage that relatively sharp curves may be rounded with a minimum of swing and a minimum of tendency for the car wheels to climb the rails. No more couplers, draft gears and the like are required than in cars ol the usual length.

Due to the tact that there are two center plates on the middle truck, said middle truck will always tend to keep its proper positionon the rails. Let it be assumed that the middle truck is on a curve with the liange ot a wheel at one end oit the truck resting against the outer rail and the flange ot' a wheel on the other end of the truck resting against the inner rail, in which positionl the truck would have a tendency to climb the rail or leave the track. It the car be moved in one direction, the flanges of the three outside wheels would all roll against the outer rail of the curved track, and ii the car be moved in the opposite direction the flanges of the aiv lll)

lill 

